


Pure Bliss

by beeche241



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:13:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25277488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeche241/pseuds/beeche241
Summary: JJ comes home from her Sunday morning run to a surprise.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 9
Kudos: 135





	Pure Bliss

JJ loved her Sunday morning runs. A deep breath of the brisk morning air always filled her with a quiet hope in what the day could hold. Then she’d race through nature, awaiting the instant when the sun rose, strategically navigating its rays of lights through the tree trunks.

 _Pure bliss_ , JJ thought.

There was something, too, about the stillness in the moments before the world woke up that made her feel at peace. It was the same reason Emily loved the late hours at night, when the rest of the world had fallen asleep and there was nothing but an utter tranquility in the evening.

JJ had thought that would surely mean Emily would enjoy going on morning runs with her. But the experiment had proved fruitless, as Emily had spent most of the jog complaining that nothing else was up yet, and she should, out of respect for the slumbering world around her, also be cozy and in bed. She had promised JJ that she could prove exactly how powerful her legs and hips were some other time, but _that_ was better suited for the evening.

Besides, Emily loved JJ’s Sunday morning runs a little differently. Though she adored sharing the bed with the blonde and took in every moment in JJ’s arms, it was only after JJ went on her runs that Emily could flop open onto the bed completely, claiming the entire queen size mattress as her own.

And when the blonde came home from her runs, Emily found the sound of the shower mixed with JJ’s humming quite soothing indeed. Then the water would stop, a few moments would pass, and the smell of vanilla shampoo would flood Emily’s senses as JJ eased in beside her, whispering a soft “good morning” in her ear.

 _Pure bliss_ , Emily thought.

And normally, their routine was perfect.

That morning was a little different.

JJ rounded the corner to their home and was confused to see the window of the kitchen open. She could hear the shouting even from the sidewalk. Heart pounding, she flung open the front door and was greeted face-to-face with a disheveled Emily.

Emily looked surprised to see her. “You’re home!” she exclaimed.

“What’s going on? Is everyone okay?” JJ asked, looking around.

“Promise you won’t get angry?”

JJ glanced at the kitchen, where the chaos had clearly begun. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Then, yes. Everything is going great,” Emily said, a lopsided smile plastering her face. “You should probably just go straight to the shower.”

JJ strode into the kitchen, brushing past Emily, both bracing themselves for the worst.

“Don’t be mad!” Emily called out, as though this desperate plea could make a difference.

JJ stood and beheld the sight in the kitchen, mouth agape.

The window she had noticed was opened to allow the smoke of a burning toaster to air out, while a pan on the stove held what might have been scrambled eggs at one point. Several halved strawberries littered the floor, and the knife on the countertop was precariously close to joining them. Michael was sat at the dining table, giggling, his hands still playing with pancake batter that had sought to soil everything surrounding it, including Michael’s hair and pajamas. Henry stood a few feet in front of JJ, desperately clutching a paper towel to one hand, as a small amount of blood began to show through. The kitchen was littered with plates and towels, and above it all, the smell of coffee, a normally calming aroma that mocked the madness around JJ now.

“We, ah, wanted to make you breakfast while you were running,” Emily explained from behind her. “It didn’t work out.”

JJ knelt down to examine Henry’s bloody hand and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s not too bad. What happened?”

Henry gave her a huge grin before wandering away to find a band-aid. “I wanted to cut the fruit.”

JJ turned towards Emily and whispered harshly, “You gave Henry a knife?”

Emily tugged at her ear. “What age are children allowed to have knives again?”

“Emily!” JJ cried, exasperated.

A howl of laughter erupted behind her as Michael slapped the batter as hard as he could, causing bits to fly in multiple directions. Henry gave a loud whoop, the wound on his hand apparently forgotten.

JJ let out a sigh and shook her head, as a smile began to form on her face. How could she stay mad? JJ turned and took Emily’s hands in hers.

“It was very sweet of you to make breakfast, and I love seeing you with Henry and Michael,” she began, “but if you love me, please promise you will never, ever try to cook with the boys again.”

“You know, the coffee actually came out quite well,” Emily said, grinning back. “But I promise.”

JJ went in for a kiss, spinning Emily around slightly, as the brunette melted in her arms. “I’m going to go shower. Can you clean up while I’m gone, then we can have a proper family breakfast?”

Emily pouted. “Can’t I just tell the boys to clean up while I join you in the shower?”

JJ pursed her lips and turned to look. “The same boys who are about to pour the batter onto the floor? I don’t think so. Besides, you do not get a reward for making this mess.”

Emily shrugged. It had been a valiant effort.

“Henry!” JJ called out, glaring a warning at him before her sons could cause a greater disaster in the kitchen.

Her expression changed back to a smile, eyes shining with amusement, and she floated up the stairs away from Emily, who groaned and turned back towards the boys.

“Okay, so breakfast didn’t quite work out. I don’t think your mom liked this surprise,” she said.

“’Cause you burned the toast,” Michael giggled.

“And yes, I may have forgotten about the eggs,” Emily confessed.

“And you were the one who distracted me while I was cutting strawberries,” Henry added. “Not to mention-"

“Okay, well,” Emily interrupted. “I think the important thing is that we all did our best. Now we gotta clean it up, okay?”

The invitation to clean was not welcomed, and Henry and Michael barely moved.

“I like this breakfast,” Michael stated, poking his fingers into the pancake batter once more.

“Yeah, it was more fun,” Henry said, looking at the bowl and wishing they had indeed poured it all over the floor.

“I thought so too,” Emily whispered to the boys, ruffling Michael’s hair as he laughed.

“Do you think if mommy made it with us, she would have had fun too?”

“I think she would have,” Emily answered. “And we might’ve been able to eat it too. So why don’t we clean up and do this all over again so your mom can join us in having fun?”

This proved a more motivating sentiment to the boys, and by the time JJ joined them in the kitchen, they had nearly finished cleaning, with Michael even helping to dry the dishes as Emily washed them, while Henry put them away.

JJ smiled and picked a dried piece of batter from Michael’s hair, then snaked her arms around Emily’s waist at the sink.

“Thank you for trying to do all this,” she whispered into Emily’s ear. “I love you.”

Emily’s smile grew. Despite the failure of their breakfast surprise, she still felt on top of the world when JJ said those three words.

“How’s this?” JJ said, turning to face all three of them. “New Sunday morning routine: we all make breakfast together. Henry gets to cut the fruit, Michael gets to play with batter, and Emily gets to learn how to cook properly.”

The proposition earned cheers from the boys and a bright laugh from Emily, sounds that made JJ’s heart swell with love.

Yes, JJ loved her Sunday morning runs. But even more, she loved coming home to her family.

_Pure bliss._


End file.
